The Design of Accessibility
Accessibility is a frequently talked about topic among builders - simple enough to get sneaked into daily conversations and fancy enough to be presented on big stages.
The ease with which this word is used likely lies at the core of the word itself - inclusion. When we think about #accessibility, we are mostly referring to the need to include persons from `minority groups' across race, physical abilities, gender and several other demographics. We speak mostly within the lines of `an increasing 16% of the world’s population are experiencing significant disabilities and so we need to build our touchpoints, channels, and processes to be more #inclusive’.
With this in generous thought, we go ahead to build the most impressive processes, websites, apps, etc. The very big issue with this is that we forget that human experiences are heavily interwoven and connected to other experiences. The visually impaired person is part of another predominantly excluded racial community and is also excluded by structural and economic factors such as poverty. Data alone often fails to tell the whole customer story.
When we remember that human experiences and living inadequacies are not as independent, we realise that building for the 4.5% of persons that are color-blind alone or the Hispanic persons alone will not suffice. There are more inadequacies that may appear when we consider geographical locations or educational backgrounds.
Accessibility must extend beyond the popular physical and social inequities to reflect consideration for the interwoven experiences of socio-economic, cognitive, mental health, age, my very favourite, geographical differences etc.
Accessibility in itself is what makes availability and distribution continually relevant. We must learn to think of chains of distribution along the same lines when we design services and processes. How much effort is required to execute that Call to Action (CTA)? Where are our services located? How accessible are these locations to the primary audience of our services? How much self-service is enabled? We must pursue a high empathy level to drive excellent functionality as perceived by users - the product is only as useful as perceived as useful.
This emphasises paying attention to actions and emotions are customers are about to experience but super importantly, where they have come from, their experiences, and where they are headed - journey maps are great for this.
Accessibility understands location affects perception and considers where our customers reside even as we build, the need for strengthening the distribution channels for retail markets. Accessibility is deeply concerned with customer behaviour and sees that home deliveries have become a more recurring option and provide that option with ease.
Accessibility considers `40% of the world’s population are c gender, 52% of that are g race with 10% located mostly in k areas'. This produces a mental Venn diagram.
Accessibility understands location affects perception and considers where our customers reside even as we build, the need for strengthening the distribution channels for retail markets.
So whether we choose to build for the 14% of persons with cognitive disabilities or 26% of persons with visual impairment, ownership is shown in that we paid attention to the entire story. That’s the only way they simply stop being numbers fancy enough for our reports - merely statistical points.
As personalisation gets even more popular, we must realise even more that a drive for inclusion is what makes this greatly possible.
In Banking, as we build new branches or create more channels and touchpoints to cater for our ever-growing diverse , we think who will and how they’ll be accessed.
We re-validate our personas as we establish in more locations because people are continually affected by the places they live and affect the place. It’s an ecosystem of experiences.
We re-validate our personas as we establish in more locations because people are continually affected by the places they live and affect the place. It’s an ecosystem of experiences.
I understand this leaves you with a lot more segments of customers to consider while ideating and iterating your builds. You have a good problem on your hands and the great old-age skill of prioritisation will make this easier.
An easy hack is to include these 'statistical points' in your focus groups and usability interviews
Accessibility is the future, not because it’s the new trendy word in the ecosystem, but because it speaks to the need to leave no one behind as old technology is revised and new innovations move from ideation to reality. Only then can design be truly customer-centric.
Chidera Okolie, XMP 🚀
is a highly skilled professional with expertise in CX, product development, and business strategy. With a customer-centric approach
This is a really good read Chidera Okolie Products should always be built with the mInd of “What do users want” and because users will cut across different personas ands social stratas . Our products must be inclusive. This is a really educative perspective.
Lovely piece Chidera, It's essential that businesses provide a more supportive and inclusive environment for customers with disabilities
This is an awakening piece that I totally agree with! Products that prioritize human needs over just user needs are regarded as the most likely to have a significant impact and be widely used.
"The product is only as useful as perceived as useful". This was a very insightful and inspiring read. It served as a reminder to always consider how inclusive our products are. Well done Chidera!
As we create the future with new technologies and apps, we all win if people truly come first in our motivation. If people come first, then accessibility becomes priority- the who, where and how people use our services. Accessibility must not just be a catchy phrase, we must build with love in our hearts for our users, this is how we all win such that our technologies do not only enrich our pockets but enrich our world.